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Texas Sparkling Water Startup Could Be True Topo Chico Competitor

When health-conscious Texans decided that it was time to cut ties with soda, they moved on to Topo Chico. For 120 years, this sparkling water company out of Monterrey, Mexico existed in a corner of the market where it struggled for attention. That is until Texans decided to adopt it en masse to add to their liquor drinks, making it the base for summertime spritzers, or simply sipping directly from the bottle.

Today, Topo Chico has become shorthand for sparkling water. However, one Austin brand has decided to take on the industry titan.

Meet Rambler

A post shared by Rambler (@rambleraustin) on May 25, 2017 at 6:38pm PDT

This Austin-based beverage, Rambler, is set to hit Austin area bars in 12-ounce cans this summer. And everyone is curious. The company brands themselves as "limestone filtered." Naturally, Topo Chico addicts cannot wait to see if the filtration process will create a sparkling water that will be able to dethrone Topo Chico.

With Austin-area big wigs at the helm of this enterprise, anything is possible. The Rambler consortium includes James Moody, the owner of Austin music venue Mohawk, former MillerCoors CEO Leo Kiely, and GSD&M Chief Creative Officer Jay Russell. Austin Beerworks has been tapped for help with production.

Dethroning the King

A post shared by Rambler (@rambleraustin) on Sep 24, 2015 at 4:35pm PDT

Indeed, with the popularity of sparkling water skyrocketing, there has been no better time than now to enter the market. As soda addictions are on their way out, getting hooked on water is now in fashion and Rambler hopes to be the nicotine gum for recovering soda addicts.

The best part about Rambler is that it comes in 6-packs of 12-ounce cans. That means that you'll be able to take your preferred beverage wherever you go, including the park and the beach. So to give back to the Lone Star State that gave them the inspiration, Rambler will donate a portion of the proceeds to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation.